FLAG CARRIER Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to revive its direct flights between Manila and Sapporo as part of its plan to strengthen connections between the Philippines and Japan.
In a media release on Tuesday, the flag carrier said it will start operating its nonstop Manila-Sapporo flights from Nov. 24 until March 27, 2026, three times a week.
PAL will offer these seasonal flights every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, operating the service with an Airbus A321neo, which can accommodate up to 168 passengers.
It added that the airline will operate this route every succeeding winter season from November to March.
“We are thrilled to announce the reopening of our direct flights from Manila to Sapporo, which will help us strengthen both bilateral relations and cultural ties with our Japanese counterparts,” PAL President Richard Nuttall said.
The revival of this direct route expands PAL’s destination points and routes in Japan. At present, the flag carrier operates nonstop services to Osaka (Kansai), Nagoya, Fukuoka, Tokyo (Haneda), and Tokyo (Narita) from Manila, including direct flights from Cebu to both Osaka (Kansai) and Tokyo (Narita).
PAL previously operated the Manila-Sapporo route from December 2018 to March 2020.
In April, PAL said it was expecting passenger volume to climb by 20% this year from 15 million passengers in 2024, boosted by the launch of new routes and the expansion of existing services.
The flag carrier, operated by PAL Holdings, Inc., had earlier announced its plan to expand its nonstop route network and explore more partnerships with other airlines to support its growth.
PAL Holdings reported a 20.28% year-on-year increase in attributable net income to P4.33 billion for the first quarter, driven by revenue growth.
Consolidated revenue rose by 2.51% to P46.95 billion from P45.8 billion in the same period last year.
Passenger traffic increased by 5% to 4.1 million in the first quarter. Its cargo segment handled 52.6 million kilograms across more than 28,000 flights in international and domestic networks.
At the local bourse, shares in PAL Holdings closed unchanged at P4.17 apiece. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
